“Halo 4” Makes Entertainment History

“Halo 4” Makes Entertainment History with More Than
$220 Million in Global Sales in the First 24 Hours

The
first chapter of a new blockbuster “Halo” saga eclipses
the biggest movie launch in U.S. box office history; on
track to reach over $300 million in global sales in the
first week

In a year when Hollywood is rolling out its
biggest blockbusters, one video game has eclipsed them all.
“Halo 4”1 is on track to reach $300 million in global
sales in the first week, making it the biggest “Halo”
launch in history and the biggest entertainment launch of
the year to date. In the first 24 hours of its release,
“Halo 4” garnered more than $220 million worldwide,
eclipsing the record for the biggest day-one opening in U.S.
box office history, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
Part 2,” and the biggest movie of 2012, “The Avengers”
– based on U.S. sales alone.

The launch of “Halo
4” propelled lifetime sales for the “Halo” franchise
beyond $3.38 billion, cementing its status as one of the
most popular entertainment franchises in the world. “Halo
4” also shattered the record for the largest number of
players in the history of the “Halo” franchise, with
over 4 million players in the first five days. Users spent a
total of 31.4 million hours playing “Halo 4,” pushing
the total number of gameplay hours across the “Halo”
franchise well beyond the five billion mark.

“We’re thrilled that ‘Halo 4’ has emerged as the
biggest U.S. entertainment launch of the year,” said Phil
Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios.
“Thanks to the millions of fans worldwide who helped make
this another record-breaking launch for the ‘Halo’
franchise, ‘Halo 4’ is kicking off a strong holiday
season and has become the must-have blockbuster experience
of the year.”

“Consumer demand and excitement for
‘Halo 4’ is even greater than we anticipated,” said
Tony Bartel, GameStop president. “Day-one sales of ‘Halo
4’ make it the biggest ‘Halo’ launch in GameStop
history and the biggest game launch on any platform so far
this year in our stores.”

As further testament to
the unprecedented excitement surrounding the launch of
“Halo 4,” Microsoft announced that online content for
the live-action digital series, “Halo 4: Forward Unto
Dawn” has generated more than 46 million total views to
date, including 39 million on Machinima.com’s YouTube
channel alone.

Hailed by NBC News as
“breath-taking, heart-breaking and awe-inspiring,”2
“Halo 4” has garnered universal acclaim as one of the
top-rated video games of 2012,3 and sparked a worldwide
celebration when it released on Nov. 6. More than 10,000
retail stores in more than 40 countries worldwide, including
Seattle, Paris, London, Berlin, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Dubai and Sydney, opened their doors at midnight to
commemorate the highly anticipated return of the Master
Chief. In London, a massive 50-foot illuminated glyph
symbolizing the new threat in “Halo 4” flew over the
River Thames, marking one of the largest objects ever to be
flown by helicopter as a lighting art performance.
Additionally, for one day only, Microsoft transformed the
European country of Liechtenstein into a replica of the
“Halo” universe, signifying the first time a brand has
taken over an entire country for an entertainment launch.

Developed by Microsoft studio 343 Industries
exclusively for the Xbox 360, “Halo 4” is the next
blockbuster instalment of the iconic franchise that has
shaped entertainment history and defined a generation of
gamers. “Halo 4” continues the story of the series’
iconic hero the Master Chief as he returns to confront his
destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of
the entire universe.

The game takes the series in a bold
new direction by delivering its most epic and explorative
campaign yet, alongside an emotionally resonant story and a
ground-breaking multiplayer offering unlike anything before
it – setting the stage for an epic new sci-fi saga.

The standard edition of “Halo 4” will be available
for $99.95 (N.Z. RRP 4), and the Limited Edition, which
includes an extended 90-minute version of the live-action
digital series “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” and
additional bonus content, will be available for $129.95
(U.S. RRP4).

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